size, tank mates, reef safe, care

There are a lot of different types of wrasse available for the saltwater aquarium. This article will cover the 75 Best types of wrasse, including their scientific name, the maximum size they grow to as adults, in both inches and centimeters, the minimum tank size required to adequately care for them in gallons and liters, their care difficulty, relative aggressiveness, diet, and whether or not they can be kept safely with corals.

75 Best types of wrasse: care guide summary table

The table below lists the 75 best types of wrasse, with a care guide summary. If the table is wider than the screen you are viewing it on, you can scroll left and right on the table itself.

Table 1: 75 Best Types of Wrasse

Type of Wrasse	Scientifc name for type of wrasse	Adult size (in.)	Min. tank size (gal)	Care difficulty	Aggressive	Diet	Reef safe (Yes/No)	Adult size (cm)	Min. tank size (liters)
Adorned Wrasse	Halichoeres cosmetus	5	55	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	13	208
Banana Wrasse	Thalassoma lutescens	12	125	Relatively easy	Yes	Meaty foods	No	30	473
Bird Wrasse	Gomphosus varius	11	125	Relatively easy	Semi-aggressive	Meaty foods	No	28	473
Black Leopard Wrasse	Macropharyngodon negrosensis	4	90	Extremely difficult	No	Meaty foods	Yes	10	341
Blue Flasher Wrasse	Paracheilinus cyaneus	3	55	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	8	208
Blue Throat Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus cyanogularis	4	90	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	10	341
Bluehead Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus cyanopleura	5	90	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	13	341
Bluehead Wrasse	Thalassoma bifasciatum	7	70	Relatively easy	Semi-aggressive	Meaty foods	Somewhat	18	265
Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse	Labroides dimidiatus	5.5	90	Difficult and challenging	No	Meaty foods	Yes	14	341
Blunthead Wrasse	Thalassoma amblycephalum	6	70	Medium difficulty	Semi-aggressive	Meaty foods	Somewhat	15	265
Carpenter’s Flasher Wrasse	Paracheilinus carpenteri	3	55	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	8	208
Chiseltooth Wrasse	Pseudodax moluccanus	10	125	Difficult and challenging	No	Meaty foods	Somewhat	25	473
Darwin’s Glow Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus sp.	5	90	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	13	341
Dragon Wrasse	Novaculichthys taeniourus	12	180	Medium difficulty	Semi-aggressive	Meaty foods	No	30	681
Dusky Wrasse	Halichoeres annularis	6	70	Difficult and challenging	No	Meaty foods	Yes	15	265
Exquisite Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus exquisitus	5	90	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	13	341
Filamented Flasher Wrasse	Paracheilinus filamentosus	3.5	55	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	9	208
Fine Spotted Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus punctatus	5	90	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	13	341
Formosa Wrasse	Coris formosa	24	180	Medium difficulty	Yes	Meaty foods	No	61	681
Goldbar Wrasse	Thalassoma hebraicum	9	125	Medium difficulty	Yes	Meaty foods	Somewhat	23	473
Golden Rhomboidalis Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus rhomboidalis	4.5	90	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	11	341
Green Wrasse	Halichoeres chloropterus	8	70	Medium difficulty	No	Meaty foods	Yes	20	265
Grey Head Wrasse	Halichoeres leucurus	6	70	Medium difficulty	No	Meaty foods	Yes	15	265
Hardwicke Wrasse	Thalassoma hardwicke	8	90	Medium difficulty	Yes	Meaty foods	No	20	341
Harlequin Tusk	Choerodon fasciatus	10	125	Medium difficulty	Semi-aggressive	Meaty foods	Somewhat	25	473
Hooded Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus bathyphilus	3.5	55	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	9	208
Johnson’s Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus johnsonii	3	55	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	8	208
Katherine’s Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus katherinae	4	90	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	10	341
Labout’s Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus laboutei	5.5	90	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	14	341
Leopard Wrasse	Macropharyngodon meleagris	6	90	Extremely difficult	No	Meaty foods	Yes	15	341
Lineatus Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus lineatus	5	90	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	13	341
Linespot Flasher Wrasse	Paracheilinus lineopunctatus	3	55	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	8	208
Lunate Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus lunatus	3.5	55	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	9	208
Lyretail Wrasse	Thalassoma lunare	10	125	Medium difficulty	Yes	Meaty foods	No	25	473
Marble/Hortulanus Wrasse	Halichoeres hortulanus	11	125	Medium difficulty	No	Meaty foods	Yes	28	473
McCosker’s Flasher Wrasse	Paracheilinus mccoskeri	3	55	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	8	208
Melanurus Wrasse	Halichoeres melanurus	4.5	55	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	11	208
Lubbock’s Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus lubbocki	3.5	55	Relatively easy	Semi-aggressive	Meaty foods	Yes	9	208
Mystery Wrasse	Pseudocheilinus ocellatus	5	90	Relatively easy	Semi-aggressive	Meaty foods	Yes	13	341
Naoko’s Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus naokoae	4	90	Relatively easy	Semi-aggressive	Meaty foods	Yes	10	341
Nebulous Wrasse	Halichoeres nebulosus	5	90	Medium difficulty	No	Meaty foods	Yes	13	341
Neon Wrasse	Halichoeres garnoti	7	70	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	18	265
Orange-Back Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus aurantidorsalis	4.5	90	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	11	341
Paddlefin Wrasse	Thalassoma lucasanum	8	70	Medium difficulty	Yes	Meaty foods	Somewhat	20	265
Pearly Wrasse	Halichoeres margaritaceus	5	90	Medium difficulty	No	Meaty foods	Yes	13	341
Pink Margin Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus rubrimarginatus	5	90	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	13	341
Pink-Streaked Wrasse	Pseudocheilinops ataenia	2.5	15	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	6	57
Pinkface Wrasse	Thalassoma quinquevittatum	7	70	Relatively easy	Yes	Meaty foods	Somewhat	18	265
Radiant Wrasse	Halichoeres iridis	4.5	55	Extremely difficult	No	Meaty foods	Yes	11	208
Red Breast Wrasse	Cheilinus fasciatus	16	180	Medium difficulty	No	Meaty foods	Somewhat	41	681
Red Coris Wrasse	Coris gaimard	15	125	Medium difficulty	Semi-aggressive	Meaty foods	Somewhat	38	473
Red Head Solon Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus solorensis	5	90	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	13	341
Red Velvet Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus rubrisquamis	4	90	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	10	341
Red-Fin Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus adornatus	3	55	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	8	208
Red-Lined Wrasse	Halichoeres biocellatus	4	55	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	10	208
Redfin Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus rubripinnis	4	90	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	10	341
Richmond’s Wrasse	Halichoeres richmondi	7.5	70	Medium difficulty	No	Meaty foods	Yes	19	265
Rose-Band Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus roseafascia	5.5	70	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	14	265
Royal Flasher Wrasse	Paracheilinus angulatus		55	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	0	208
Ruby Head Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus cf cyanopleura	5	90	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	13	341
Ruby Longfin Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus rubeus	3	55	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	8	208
Scarlet Pin Stripe Wrasse	Pseudocheilinus evanidus	3	55	Medium difficulty	Semi-aggressive	Meaty foods	Yes	8	208
Scott’s Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus scottorum	6	90	Relatively easy	Semi-aggressive	Meaty foods	Yes	15	341
Sea Grass Wrasse	Novaculichthys macrolepidotus	6	70	Medium difficulty	Semi-aggressive	Meaty foods	Somewhat	15	265
Six Line Wrasse	Pseudocheilinus hexataenia	3	55	Relatively easy	Semi-aggressive	Meaty foods	Yes	8	208
Splendid Pintail Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus isosceles	5	90	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	13	341
Two Spot Wrasse	Cheilinus bimaculatus	6	70	Relatively easy	Semi-aggressive	Meaty foods	No	15	265
Two Tone Wrasse	Halichoeres prosopeion	5	70	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	13	265
Vrolik’s Wrasse, Male	Halichoeres chrysotaenia	5	70	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	13	265
Whip Fin Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus filamentosus	3.5	55	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	9	208
Yellow Banded Possum Wrasse	Wetmorella nigropinnata	3	15	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	8	57
Yellow Fin Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus flavidorsalis	3	55	Medium difficulty	No	Meaty foods	Yes	8	208
Yellow Wrasse	Halichoeres chrysus	5	55	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	13	208
Yellowfin Flasher Wrasse	Paracheilinus flavianalis	3.5	55	Relatively easy	No	Meaty foods	Yes	9	208
Yellowtail Wrasse	Anampses meleagrides	9	125	Extremely difficult	No	Meaty foods	Yes	23	473

Are wrasses hard to keep?

Most wrasses are not hard to keep. They are generally hardy and relatively easy to care for.

Easy to care for types of wrasse for a saltwater tank

Here is a table of relatively easy to care for wrasse types that are not hard to keep:

Table 2: Easy to care for types of wrasse:

Adorned Wrasse	Golden Rhomboidalis Wrasse	Neon Wrasse	Ruby Longfin Fairy Wrasse
Banana Wrasse	Hooded Fairy Wrasse	Orange-Back Fairy Wrasse	Scott’s Fairy Wrasse
Bird Wrasse	Johnson’s Fairy Wrasse	Pink Margin Fairy Wrasse	Six Line Wrasse
Blue Flasher Wrasse	Katherine’s Fairy Wrasse	Pink-Streaked Wrasse	Splendid Pintail Fairy Wrasse
Blue Throat Fairy Wrasse	Labout’s Fairy Wrasse	Pinkface Wrasse	Two Spot Wrasse
Bluehead Fairy Wrasse	Lineatus Fairy Wrasse	Red Head Solon Fairy Wrasse	Two Tone Wrasse
Bluehead Wrasse	Linespot Flasher Wrasse	Red Velvet Fairy Wrasse	Vrolik’s Wrasse, Male
Carpenter’s Flasher Wrasse	Lunate Fairy Wrasse	Red-Fin Fairy Wrasse	Whip Fin Fairy Wrasse
Darwin’s Glow Fairy Wrasse	McCosker’s Flasher Wrasse	Red-Lined Wrasse	Yellow Banded Possum Wrasse
Exquisite Fairy Wrasse	Melanurus Wrasse	Redfin Wrasse	Yellow Wrasse
Filamented Flasher Wrasse	Lubbock’s Fairy Wrasse	Rose-Band Fairy Wrasse	Yellowfin Flasher Wrasse
Fine Spotted Fairy Wrasse	Mystery Wrasse	Royal Flasher Wrasse
Golden Rhomboidalis Wrasse	Naoko’s Fairy Wrasse	Ruby Head Fairy Wrasse

Which wrasses are reef safe?

Table 3: Reef safe wrasses for a saltwater tank

Reef safe wrasse types (A-G)	Reef safe wrasse types (H-N)	Reef safe wrasse types (N-R)	Reef safe wrasse types (R-Z)
Adorned Wrasse	Hooded Fairy Wrasse	Neon Wrasse	Ruby Longfin Fairy Wrasse
Black Leopard Wrasse	Johnson’s Fairy Wrasse	Orange-Back Fairy Wrasse	Scarlet Pin Stripe Wrasse
Blue Flasher Wrasse	Katherine’s Fairy Wrasse	Pearly Wrasse	Scott’s Fairy Wrasse
Blue Throat Fairy Wrasse	Labout’s Fairy Wrasse	Pink Margin Fairy Wrasse	Six Line Wrasse
Bluehead Fairy Wrasse	Leopard Wrasse	Pink-Streaked Wrasse	Splendid Pintail Fairy Wrasse
Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse	Lineatus Fairy Wrasse	Radiant Wrasse	Two Tone Wrasse
Carpenter’s Flasher Wrasse	Linespot Flasher Wrasse	Red Head Solon Fairy Wrasse	Vrolik’s Wrasse, Male
Darwin’s Glow Fairy Wrasse	Lubbock’s Fairy Wrasse	Red Velvet Fairy Wrasse	Whip Fin Fairy Wrasse
Dusky Wrasse	Lunate Fairy Wrasse	Red-Fin Fairy Wrasse	Yellow Banded Possum Wrasse
Exquisite Fairy Wrasse	Marble/Hortulanus Wrasse	Red-Lined Wrasse	Yellow Fin Fairy Wrasse
Filamented Flasher Wrasse	McCosker’s Flasher Wrasse	Redfin Wrasse	Yellow Wrasse
Fine Spotted Fairy Wrasse	Melanurus Wrasse	Richmond’s Wrasse	Yellowfin Flasher Wrasse
Golden Rhomboidalis Wrasse	Mystery Wrasse	Rose-Band Fairy Wrasse	Yellowtail Wrasse
Green Wrasse	Naoko’s Fairy Wrasse	Royal Flasher Wrasse
Grey Head Wrasse	Nebulous Wrasse	Ruby Head Fairy Wrasse

17 Types of wrasse that are not reef safe or are somewhat reef-safe with caution advised

Table 4: 17 Types of wrasse that may not be reef safe

Type of wrasse	Scientific name	Min. tank size (gallons)	Reef safe	Aggressive	Care difficulty
Bluehead Wrasse	Thalassoma bifasciatum	70	Somewhat, caution advised	Semi-aggressive	Relatively easy
Blunthead Wrasse	Thalassoma amblycephalum	70	Somewhat, caution advised	Semi-aggressive	Medium difficulty
Chiseltooth Wrasse	Pseudodax moluccanus	125	Somewhat, caution advised	No	Difficult and challenging
Goldbar Wrasse	Thalassoma hebraicum	125	Somewhat, caution advised	Yes	Medium difficulty
Harlequin Tusk	Choerodon fasciatus	125	Somewhat, caution advised	Semi-aggressive	Medium difficulty
Paddlefin Wrasse	Thalassoma lucasanum	70	Somewhat, caution advised	Yes	Medium difficulty
Pinkface Wrasse	Thalassoma quinquevittatum	70	Somewhat, caution advised	Yes	Relatively easy
Red Breast Wrasse	Cheilinus fasciatus	180	Somewhat, caution advised	No	Medium difficulty
Red Coris Wrasse	Coris gaimard	125	Somewhat, caution advised	Semi-aggressive	Medium difficulty
Sea Grass Wrasse	Novaculichthys macrolepidotus	70	Somewhat, caution advised	Semi-aggressive	Medium difficulty

How many gallons does a wrasse need?

Different types of wrasse will require different amounts of water. The minimum number of gallons to keep the smallest types of wrasse is 15 gallons, and the largest wrasse types require 180 gallons of aquarium water or more.

Types of wrasse for a nano aquarium (minimum 15 gallons)

Table 5: 2 Types of wrasse perfect for a nano aquarium

Type of wrasse	Scientific name	Adult size (in.)	Care difficulty level	Reef safe	Aggressive
Pink-Streaked Wrasse	Pseudocheilinops ataenia	2.5	Relatively easy	Yes	No
Yellow Banded Possum Wrasse	Wetmorella nigropinnata	3	Relatively easy	Yes	No

Types of wrasse for a 55-gallon aquarium or larger

Table 6: 24 Best types of wrasse for a 55-gallon aquarium or larger

Type of wrasse	Scientific name	Adult fish size (in.)	Care difficulty	Reef safe	Aggressive
Adorned Wrasse	Halichoeres cosmetus	5	Relatively easy	Yes	No
Blue Flasher Wrasse	Paracheilinus cyaneus	3	Relatively easy	Yes	No
Carpenter’s Flasher Wrasse	Paracheilinus carpenteri	3	Relatively easy	Yes	No
Filamented Flasher Wrasse	Paracheilinus filamentosus	3.5	Relatively easy	Yes	No
Hooded Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus bathyphilus	3.5	Relatively easy	Yes	No
Johnson’s Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus johnsonii	3	Relatively easy	Yes	No
Linespot Flasher Wrasse	Paracheilinus lineopunctatus	3	Relatively easy	Yes	No
Lunate Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus lunatus	3.5	Relatively easy	Yes	No
McCosker’s Flasher Wrasse	Paracheilinus mccoskeri	3	Relatively easy	Yes	No
Melanurus Wrasse	Halichoeres melanurus	4.5	Relatively easy	Yes	No
Lubbock’s Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus lubbocki	3.5	Relatively easy	Yes	Semi-aggressive
Pink-Streaked Wrasse	Pseudocheilinops ataenia	2.5	Relatively easy	Yes	No
Radiant Wrasse	Halichoeres iridis	4.5	Extremely difficult	Yes	No
Red-Fin Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus adornatus	3	Relatively easy	Yes	No
Red-Lined Wrasse	Halichoeres biocellatus	4	Relatively easy	Yes	No
Royal Flasher Wrasse	Paracheilinus angulatus		Relatively easy	Yes	No
Ruby Longfin Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus rubeus	3	Relatively easy	Yes	No
Scarlet Pin Stripe Wrasse	Pseudocheilinus evanidus	3	Medium difficulty	Yes	Semi-aggressive
Six Line Wrasse	Pseudocheilinus hexataenia	3	Relatively easy	Yes	Semi-aggressive
Whip Fin Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus filamentosus	3.5	Relatively easy	Yes	No
Yellow Banded Possum Wrasse	Wetmorella nigropinnata	3	Relatively easy	Yes	No
Yellow Fin Fairy Wrasse	Cirrhilabrus flavidorsalis	3	Medium difficulty	Yes	No
Yellow Wrasse	Halichoeres chrysus	5	Relatively easy	Yes	No
Yellowfin Flasher Wrasse	Paracheilinus flavianalis	3.5	Relatively easy	Yes	No

Do flasher wrasses need sand?

The following genera (plural for genus) need a sand bed to sleep in hide: and Anampses, Halichoeres, Macropharyngodon, and Pseudojuloides. That includes the Yellowtail, Yellow, Green, and Melanurus wrasses.

Wrasse tank mates: best and worst

Compatibility between saltwater fish types is challenging to review, because individual experiences sometimes conflict. The general disposition and typical aggressiveness level of a species is a primary, driving force, but the behaviors of individuals within a species will sometimes be more or less aggressive than the norm.

The relative size of the fish in any aquarium, as well as the order in which they are added to the tank will also play a role in competition for food or territorial aggression.

That is why we need to take the general advice and reports we read online (including this one) with a grain of salt, and whenever possible, use data to inform our decisions.

Best wrasse tank mates

In 2022, Saltwater Aquarium Blog Newsletter Subscribers who had experience with keeping one of the most popular wrasse species, the Six Line Wrasse, were asked to indicate which fish types they were successful in keeping with the wrasse and which species they had personal experience with being incompatible with their wrasse.

I used the tally of compatible and incompatible votes to calculate the percentage of the time the wrasse tank mate was compatible with the wrasse.

Table 7: The best wrasse tank mates, including a compatibility score

Wrasse tank mate type	Compatibility %	Aquarists with success	Aquarists rated incompatible
Clownfish	96%	65	-3
Tangs or Surgeonfish	90%	45	-5
Gobies	91%	43	-4
Angelfish	91%	41	-4
Blennies	88%	38	-5
Cardinalfish	92%	36	-3
Chromis	92%	34	-3
Damselfish	93%	28	-2
Basslets or Grammas	88%	22	-3
Anthias	95%	18	-1
Dottybacks	81%	17	-4
Rabbitfish	93%	13	-1
Butterflyfish	87%	13	-2
Triggerfish	100%	8	0
Dragonets	89%	8	-1

Worst wrasse tank mates

In general, Saltwater Aquarium Blog Newsletter subscribers had more successes than failures keeping Pseudocheilinus hexataenia with other wrasse tank mates. But here are the worst wrasse tank mates that demonstrated the lowest compatibility percentages:

Table 8: The wrasse tank mates with the worst compatibility scores

Wrass tank mates	Compatibility %	Aquarists with success	Aquarists rated incompatible
Other wrasse types	62%	18	-11
Filefish	67%	6	-3
Dartfish	79%	11	-3
Eels	67%	2	-1
Pufferfish	67%	2	-1
Jawfish	75%	3	-1
Lionfish	75%	3	-1

The most common incompatibility was mixing one type of wrasse with another type of wrasse. Two individual wrasses were successfully kept together only 62% of the time.

While it was not directly specified in the survey (the options were simply to indicate compatibility/incompatibility), dartfish and jawfish are notoriously docile fish. One would expect that the docile fish were likely pestered and harassed by a more aggressive type of wrasse.

Eels and lionfish are predators. I’d exercise caution beyond what it stated here and avoid mixing species, especially given the small sample size of the data here.

Can you have two wrasses in the same tank?

You can have two wrasses in the same tank, but it takes some planning and careful purchasing. Having two wrasses in the same tank was the number one reason for incompatibility between two fish types. Aquarium owners were successful keeping two wrasses together only 62% of the time, in a recent Saltwater Aquarium Blog Survey.

Here are a few guidelines that will help. If you want to keep more than one wrasse in the same tank, don’t plan to keep any of the wrasse types in the Pseudocheilinus or Macropharyngodon genus, as they are notorious for being incompatible with other wrasses. Unfortunately, that rules out the very popular Six-line wrasse, Mystery wrasse, and Leopard wrasse.

Aggression tends to be the worst between males, with more aggression between males of the same species and between males from different types of wrasse. Please keep in mind that, in captivity, it seems that the vast majority (read that as “all”, softened just a bit) of female wrasses turn male eventually, which will likely cause issues later on, so it is generally best to just keep 1 of a given wrasse type.

Which wrasses mix well together?

Here is a presentation from MACNA 2017 that goes deep on these wrasses, including which species can be safely combined in the same saltwater tank:

What to read next

Check out these other great guides:

27 Types of tangs

25 Types of saltwater angelfish

19 Types of clownfish

5 Pufferfish types

References

The Wrasse Guy

Michael, Scott W. Marine Fishes: 500+ Essential-to-Know Aquarium Species. TFH Publications, Inc. 2001.